Allard, a three-time champion in the Prentice Motorsports Group's King of the West Series, led the entire 30-lap race.

The nearly nonstop, record-setting pace ended on lap 27 when the caution flag waved for the slow rolling cars of Jerry Bonnema and Nick Rescino.

Despite the double-file restart, the "Chico Charger" remained untouchable. Allard had lapped half of the 24-car field by lap 27.

"I wish I lived closer to the track," Allard said. "The racing here is fun and the competition is great. Unfortunately, the drive from Chico is a little long for us. But we really enjoy racing here and look forward to coming back whenever our schedule permits."

During the final three laps, Shane Golobic wrested his way past third place and Carson Macedo for an eventual second-place finish. Golobic, the 2012 champion, retains the overall point lead in the series. Although he's yet to win a feature, the talented and exciting Macedo has finished fourth or better through the first five Taco Bravo races.

Macedo's uncle, two-time series champion Tommy Tarlton, earned the High Five Pizza Hard Charger award by passing a dozen cars on his way to a fourth-place finish.

Allard recorded the fastest lap of the season, dropping under 11½ seconds during the pre-race timing and testing session. His fastest lap was 11.480 seconds, earning the Ray Scheidts fast-time award.

The three heat race winners were Koen Shaw of Fresno, Netto and Golobic.

Bonnema was awarded the Beer Optics Hard Luck award for the night.

IMCA modifieds

BURKE BROTHERS DOMINATE >> The Burke brothers dominated the 20-lap IMCA modified main event. Younger brother Austin Burke, who won the heat race, led the first three laps before Cody Burke passed him for the lead and eventual win. Jim Pettit II added another podium finish this season for second, followed by Ken Nott of Watsonville.

Non-wing sprint cars

DECARLO SETS RECORD TIME >> Tim DeCarlo Jr. won Ocean's non-wing main event in record time. DeCarlo's 20-lap run was completed in 4:49.529. Track conditions were so fast that all top-five finishers broke the old record of 4:52.694, set by Billy Aton in June of 2008.

Hollister's Tony Gualda led the first five laps before a mental error sent him out of control. Another Hollister racer, Bryan Grier, led laps six through 17. DeCarlo led the final three laps for the win and record.

Recovering from his excursion, Gualda drew cheers from the crowd as he drove from fourth to second place in the final three laps, leaving Brent Maggi and Grier in third and fourth place. Evan Bonnema finished fifth, also under the old main event record.

Past records indicate that Gualda had broken the old record on April 24 with a nonstop time of 4:50.789.

Jimmy Christian of Morgan Hill won the heat race and also set a new eight-lap record in a time of 1:49.621. The old record set by Ryan Bernal in July of 2009 was run in 1:50.847.

American stocks

NELSON EARNS SECOND WIN >> A race for the lead between Matt Hagio and Billy Nelson ended with Nelson as the victor for the second time this season. There were six lead changes between Tony Oliveira, Scott Fuhrman, Hagio and Nelson. Tim Clark Sr., Hagio, Oliveira and Sean Markley Jr. made the top five.

Heat race winners were Joe Willoughby and Ron Bonnema, both of Corralitos.

IMCA sport modifieds

Bakersfield's Nick Spainhoward won his second sport modified feature of the season. San Jose's Robert Gallaher led the first two rounds, then lost the lead to Wayne Dotson, also of Bakersfield. Spainhoward grabbed the lead on lap seven and led the final 13 laps. Ethan Dotson finished second and Chowchilla's Rick Diaz finished third. Adriane DeSousa fell off the pace in the early laps but again drove a solid race to finish fourth.

TJ Ethinson and Dotson were heat race winners.

4-Bangers

San Jose's Dan Downey swept the 4-Banger division Friday night, winning the eight-car heat race and main event. James Alaga, Luke Babcock, Andy LaVerne and Beth Johnson completed the top five. It was Johnson's first time in a race car. She's sponsored by her family business, Sun Line Trucking.

Next week is the first round of the Police-in-Pursuit fund racing event, along with the 4-Bangers, IMCA modifieds and sport modifieds, Dwarf cars and Ocean's traditional non-wing sprint cars.

Ocean Speedway celebrates anniversary

Despite the trials and tribulations of the last decade with neighbors and lawsuits, the quarter-mile clay oval at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds crossed a milestone Friday night, completing 54 years of continuous operation.

Construction began on the track's current configuration in 1959 and the first race was run May 27, 1960. The first feature winner was “Okie” Art Eaton of Watsonville.

In 1947, a half-mile horse track was constructed as part of a fairgrounds improvement project.

The horse track was used in the mid-1960s and early '70s, according to Dennis Mattish in his narrative, “History of Watsonville and Salinas Auto Racing.” Six races were held, featuring sprint cars, sportsman and supermodifieds. A 12-car crash and a near riot halted racing on the half-mile in 1972.

Figure 8 racing began in 1964 and was run through 2006. It's unlikely figure-8 racing will return anytime soon.

Race fans have enjoyed many different divisions, beginning with $50 claimers — a street car converted to a race car simply by knocking out the glass, putting chains around the door posts and installing a seat belt bought through a military surplus supplier.

From the '60s to the early '80s, there was an open-wheel sportsman class, an early model stock that was also used in figure-8 racing. Late model stock cars began in the '80s along with a street stock class that is now the current American stock division.

Grand American modifieds began in the early '90s and have morphed into the current IMCA modifieds run today.

Promoter John Prentice continues with the 4-Banger division, which began in 2005. He introduced the Micro 600 class, giving fans their first look at drivers like Justin Sanders, Ryan Bernal, the Netto brothers and many others who now race in his Taco Bravo series or USAC.— Tony Karis